Donald Trump entered the Republican National Convention arena on Monday to a hero’s welcome, with a bandaged right ear marking his first public appearance since a weekend assassination attempt.
Earlier in the day, Trump secured the formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and announced right-wing Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.
He marched into Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum flanked by aides and waved at supporters on the opening day of what is expected to be a triumphant gathering.
To the sound of Lee Greenwood’s patriotic hit “God Bless the USA,” Trump took his seat without delivering any remarks but appeared deeply moved by the ovation he received from the packed venue.
“It was absolutely amazing. I mean, just thinking what he’s been through, and to come here today because he cares,” Illinois delegate Susan Sweeney told AFP on the convention floor.
The announcement of Vance, 39, as his vice presidential pick was another highlight for the Republican crowd, which erupted in cheers.
Vance, a former critic of Trump, has become one of his most uncompromising supporters.
While Trump, 78, is increasingly confident of a return to the White House despite multiple legal challenges, President Joe Biden faces weak polls and Democratic concerns over his health.
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Vance, a champion of Trump’s America First movement, is one of the least experienced VP picks in modern history.
He gained recognition with his 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” which highlighted rural, working-class resentment in America.
After previously opposing Trump, Vance won his endorsement in the 2022 Ohio Senate race, launching his rapid political rise.
Approximately 50,000 Republicans have gathered on the shores of Lake Michigan for the four-day convention, four months before election day.
The event follows an attempted assassination on Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in one bystander’s death and left Trump with a bloodied ear.
Despite his legal issues, Trump is leading in multiple polls and remains confident. Biden, 81, faces calls to quit the race over concerns about his age.
His campaign stated that the Trump-Vance agenda would “take away Americans’ rights, hurt the middle class, and make life more expensive — all while benefiting the ultra-rich and greedy corporations.”
Trump told the New York Post he had prepared a tough speech about Biden’s administration but chose instead to deliver one aimed at uniting the country.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged the difficulty of reining in his instinct to settle scores, as evidenced by his call for supporters to “fight” following Saturday’s attack.
